Bodily cancers are commonly treated using radiation therapy. Radiation therapy employs high energy radiation to kill cancer cells. One type of radiation therapy is brachytherapy, in which a source of radiation is in direct contact with an afflicted tissue. A common brachytherapy treatment, transperineal seed implantation, involves placing radioactive seeds in the prostate gland to kill prostate gland cancer cells. A physician employs tools, for example, ultrasound, computerized axial tomography (“CAT”) scans, and X-ray images in concert with dose-planning computer software programs to evaluate the medical condition of a patient. The physician constructs an optimal treatment plan to evenly distribute radiation throughout the afflicted tissue. Radioactive seeds of discrete radioactive strengths are inserted into the afflicted tissue through multiple implantation needles at positions corresponding to the treatment plan.
The physician in one example employs a radioactive seed applicator to insert the radioactive seeds into the afflicted tissue. The physician receives the radioactive seeds in a radiation shielding container and loads the radioactive seeds into the radioactive seed applicator. The radiation shielding container in one example is made from lead or steel to shield the physician from radiation of the radioactive seeds. The physician in one example opens the radiation shielding container and removes the radioactive seeds for placement into an autoclave for sterilization. The physician may not be shielded from the radioactive seeds during the time period between removing the radioactive seeds from the radiation shielding container and placing the radioactive seeds in the autoclave. As one shortcoming, the physician is exposed to radiation from the radioactive seeds during sterilization of the radioactive seeds.
Thus, a need exists for a radiation shielding container that promotes a reduction in exposure to radiation by a physician while handling radioactive seeds.